Apparatus for closing doors



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL BALL, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

APPARATUS EOR CLOSING DOORS.

Specification ofLetters Patent No. 4,947, dated February 1, 1847.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, DANmL BALL, of Albany, inthe county of Albany and State of New York have invented a new andImproved Apparatus for Closing Doors, and that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the principle or character whichdistinguishes it from all other things before known, and of the mannerof making, constructing, and using the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which-Figure l is a view of the apparatus attached to the door.

The nature of my improvement consists in applying the compound lever orknee-joint to doors so as to close them by a weight, without theinterposition of a spring or chain, which are so liable to be deranged.

The construction is as follows: A small abutment piece (un) of cast ironor other suitable material is afiixed to the face of the door casing onthe same side with the hinges and a little behind their line, as isclearly shown in the drawing; this abutment has two projections on itone above the other with a round pin extending from one to the otherthat serves as a fulcrum to one end of the lever (b) which is forked soas to embrace the pin and turn on it as the door moves on its hinges.The lever (b) meets the other lever (e) with a rule joint at itsjunction with the arm (c) (lever (o) being only half the length of lever(e) and arm c combined) and they are so constructed as to always retainthis center joint above the line of the two end ones, the lever (e)abuts against a small piece (d) that is secured to the door and formsthe fulcrum joint of lever (c) and allows it a vertical motion, as isclearly demonstrated in the drawing. The lever (c) extends beyond thecenter joint and a little above it nearly out `as far as the jamb of thedoor and has there a weight (c) suspended on it. By this arrangement itwill be perceived that as the door is opened the compound lever is bentup and the weight raised and that in descending it closes the door. It

is obvious that this same lever can be attached above a door and be madeto act on a rack and segment wheel, but I should deem that only amodification of` my invention.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

The combination of the compound lever and weight with a door for closingthe same, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth,without interposing a chain or other flexible l'ixture.

DANIEL BALL.

In presence of- R. J. HILTON, HooPER C. VAN VoRsT.

